DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

So its Monday morning, you go to gym after a long break, workout really,
really hard and you're not the least bit sore the next day. Strange, you
thought it would hurt at least a little, so now you're guessing that maybe
you are tougher than you thought. But come Wednesday morning, you wake
up with aching muscles and feel as if you've been hit by a bus. How is
this possible, especially seeing that you last worked out on Monday? What
happened to pain on Tuesday?

This is not an uncommon experience, in fact this experience even has its
own name and it's called DOMS. The word DOMS stands for Delayed Onset
Muscle Soreness, and could occur when you have over-exerted your muscles.
It can take anything from 24 to 76 hours after physical activity to subside.
Generally around 2 to 3 days.

DOMS causes muscle stiffness or soreness, swelling and could even result
in a loss of temporary strength. It commonly occurs in people who are
new to exercise or when you have had a long break from exercise for some
time and return.

The exact cause of DOMS has not yet been pinpointed. However, many theories
suggest that the type of muscle contraction is the key factor while others
base their conclusions on the muscle reinforcement process, which adds
pressure to the nerves and arteries therefore causing the pain.

Luckily this condition is only temporary and exercise specialists have
found a few remedies that can be used to ease the pain and discomfort
of DOMS. Good ol' fashioned ice or anti-inflammatory medication should
do the trick, while things such as heat packs, sports massages and stretching
have also shown to be successful in reducing the symptoms of DOMS.